I think packetise + 11-15 we have a team that could potentially win the tournament with the help of a home crowd but that 9-10 is really crippling us, I think Nora is actually a very good fly half who is good at controlling the game etc but going forward we are really one dimensional because she just lies to deep and we can get our backline moving, I just realised today that we really do have a strong side but that problem at 9-10 will really be our undoing.

It's not just the halfbacks. The Aussie backs looked so much more comfortable on the ball than ours. (with the exception of Naoupu) Part of that is the outhalf not creating any space but the general handling, passing etc of the backline looked dodgey.

Still a cracking game though. The carrying ability in our pack is serious. Almost every one of them can do it to a high standard. Particular standouts carrying were Lindsay Peat, Ciara Griffin and of course supersub Sophie Spence. Claire Molloy is a phenomenal player also. Maz (Ruler of the skies) Reilly deserved her "(Wo)Man of the match" award.

If there had been a late dropper from the Aussies think of how different the story would have been. I actually thought they would outflank us as we tired but great fight and fitness levels saved us.

Very intense game throughout. We showed a lot of guts to comeback and then hold out. Hard to know where we are at tbh. Australia have played just five 80min internationals since the last WC in 2014 so they are hardly a well drilled unit atm. Australia's performance V France on Sunday will tell us a lot about where we are. First game though, a lot of build up and an intense test for our lot but they got through it. Hopefully Jenny Murphy is fit for the France group finale, she's hits the ball carrier's very hard. We also need to batter Japan this sunday.

You know I'm going to lose,And gambling's for fools,But that's the way I like it baby, I don't want to live FOREVER!

Australia's backs were always going to look better and more assured (don't know why that is a surprise to anyone). However we can play a hell of a lot better and if we do improve for France we can do damage in this tournament, my big problem though is we haven't really played well in the last 10 months and as we go on our issues don't appear to being resolved.

Great to getting winning start. Ireland Pack very good & bench made impact. Enjoyed the game and we fought hard for win but NZ, England, Canada & France are better in the backs and we made a lot of errors.

France nos 7 & 13 standout players to watch. We will need Allison Miller to get space & show her pace if we are to beat France who look better than in the Six Nations although draw is favourable to Ireland & glad we are playing Japan rather than Australia 4 days before France game.

Despite some pretty lazy journalism, the Wales NZ game was quite competitive. Some journos looking at the score and fitting it to their narrative. Wales properly butchered 14 points, giving away possession on the NZ 5m line.

NZ were the obviously better side. Superior skills were notable. But the Welsh were physically matching them and the first half was competitive.

The Ireland game took a few years off me. Screen runners to combat rush D and some box kicking to get a foot in their territory with Maz pressuring their lineout would have taken a lot of pressure off.

Ireland will have to win their group as both Canada and New Zealand will qualify from theirs with the scores they are going to put on Hong Kong

matt wrote:What capacity does UCD have. It's not often a World Cup comes to Ireland & I think there are a lot of people who would have liked to go to Ireland's 3 pool games only to see them sold out very early. Surely they could have filled RDS at least.

They didn't sell out quickly, took at least 6 months to sell, even had a 2 for 1 offer back in March, demand then rose nearer the date and they added extra seats/stands into the venue, Average attendance at any Irl W6N was 2k, they're now up to 16k for the WRWC pool matches, they've well surpassed all expectations and targets.

Blue not red blood wrote:Did anyone hear David Corkery on the radio yesterday?

He was discussing his views on Ladies rugby and his distaste for it. That is fine everyone to their own but I nearly crashed the car when he said his main issue was thw quality of the game.

He drew particular reference to low ball handling skills and the amount of knock ons.

Jesus he is one to talk. The worst pair of hands I have ever seen in an Irish jersey

He has a point. I was taken aback at how poor our passing was in the backline. There was acres of space out wide at times and we couldnt get the ball out quickly enough. By the time the ball got to the outside backs they were being swallowed up. There is nothing wrong with constructive criticism.

Blue not red blood wrote:Did anyone hear David Corkery on the radio yesterday?

He was discussing his views on Ladies rugby and his distaste for it. That is fine everyone to their own but I nearly crashed the car when he said his main issue was thw quality of the game.

He drew particular reference to low ball handling skills and the amount of knock ons.

Jesus he is one to talk. The worst pair of hands I have ever seen in an Irish jersey

He has a point. I was taken aback at how poor our passing was in the backline. There was acres of space out wide at times and we couldnt get the ball out quickly enough. By the time the ball got to the outside backs they were being swallowed up. There is nothing wrong with constructive criticism.

Nothing indeed, but Corkery and his ilk will ascribe their bad passing to their being women.

Its an oft-aired reason for men not having an interest in Womens rugby, the lack of skills. Then they'll go watch a j4 0-3 in the middle of winter where the only pass held is when the ref threw the ball to the outhalf for the kickoff. Its not really the lack of skills that bothers the majority of men that air this view, its the lack of testicles.

Its amazing to think that men who were encouraged to play the game since age 4 or 5, played it continuously, played it in secondary school often with access to decent coaching, and then played it at a pro or semi pro level as adults would have better skills

Corkery just hates anything getting attention thats not the AIL. Plus if you dont like it dont watch it.

When he spreads his legs like that youd need dynamite or the Highland Light Infantry to shift him.

Of course there is nothing wrong with constructive criticism El Diablo. You would hardly call what DC said as that. More like destructive criticism! Yes, they made a lot of handling errors but there were good things too. Having said that, he is entitled to his opinion.